Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece
The planetary-boundary layer (PBL) plays an important role in air-pollution studies over urban/industrial areas. Therefore, numerous experimental/modelling efforts have been conducted to determine the PBL height and provide statistics. Nowadays, remote-sensing techniques such as ceilometers are valu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-06-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/11/2175 |
| _version_ | 1797531635681329152 |
|---|---|
| author | Harry D. Kambezidis Basil E. Psiloglou Ariadne Gavriil Kalliopi Petrinoli |
| author_facet | Harry D. Kambezidis Basil E. Psiloglou Ariadne Gavriil Kalliopi Petrinoli |
| author_sort | Harry D. Kambezidis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The planetary-boundary layer (PBL) plays an important role in air-pollution studies over urban/industrial areas. Therefore, numerous experimental/modelling efforts have been conducted to determine the PBL height and provide statistics. Nowadays, remote-sensing techniques such as ceilometers are valuable tools in PBL-height estimation. The National Observatory of Athens operates a Vaisala CL31 ceilometer. This study analyses its records over a 2-year period and provides statistics about the PBL height over Athens. A specifically developed algorithm reads the CL31 records and estimates the PBL height. The algorithm detects an upper and a lower PBL curve. The results show maximum values of about 2500 m above sea level (asl)/3000 m asl in early afternoon hours in all months for upper PBL, and particularly the summer ones, under all-/clear-sky conditions, respectively. On the contrary, the lower PBL does not possess a clear daily pattern. Nevertheless, one morning and another afternoon peak can be identified. The intra-annual variation of the upper PBL height shows a peak in August in all-weather conditions and in September under clear-sky ones. Season-wise, the upper PBL height varies showing an autumn peak for all-weather cases, while the lower PBL height shows a winter maximum due to persistent surface-temperature inversions in this season. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:46:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10582abdf04e4cbc8e4ebe9a0b68fdfc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:46:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-10582abdf04e4cbc8e4ebe9a0b68fdfc2023-11-21T22:31:50ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-06-011311217510.3390/rs13112175Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, GreeceHarry D. Kambezidis0Basil E. Psiloglou1Ariadne Gavriil2Kalliopi Petrinoli3Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-11810 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-11810 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-11810 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-11810 Athens, GreeceThe planetary-boundary layer (PBL) plays an important role in air-pollution studies over urban/industrial areas. Therefore, numerous experimental/modelling efforts have been conducted to determine the PBL height and provide statistics. Nowadays, remote-sensing techniques such as ceilometers are valuable tools in PBL-height estimation. The National Observatory of Athens operates a Vaisala CL31 ceilometer. This study analyses its records over a 2-year period and provides statistics about the PBL height over Athens. A specifically developed algorithm reads the CL31 records and estimates the PBL height. The algorithm detects an upper and a lower PBL curve. The results show maximum values of about 2500 m above sea level (asl)/3000 m asl in early afternoon hours in all months for upper PBL, and particularly the summer ones, under all-/clear-sky conditions, respectively. On the contrary, the lower PBL does not possess a clear daily pattern. Nevertheless, one morning and another afternoon peak can be identified. The intra-annual variation of the upper PBL height shows a peak in August in all-weather conditions and in September under clear-sky ones. Season-wise, the upper PBL height varies showing an autumn peak for all-weather cases, while the lower PBL height shows a winter maximum due to persistent surface-temperature inversions in this season.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/11/2175automatic lidars-ceilometersPBL climatologyAthensGreece |
| spellingShingle | Harry D. Kambezidis Basil E. Psiloglou Ariadne Gavriil Kalliopi Petrinoli Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece Remote Sensing automatic lidars-ceilometers PBL climatology Athens Greece |
| title | Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece |
| title_full | Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece |
| title_fullStr | Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece |
| title_short | Detection of Upper and Lower Planetary-Boundary Layer Curves and Estimation of Their Heights from Ceilometer Observations under All-Weather Conditions: Case of Athens, Greece |
| title_sort | detection of upper and lower planetary boundary layer curves and estimation of their heights from ceilometer observations under all weather conditions case of athens greece |
| topic | automatic lidars-ceilometers PBL climatology Athens Greece |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/11/2175 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT harrydkambezidis detectionofupperandlowerplanetaryboundarylayercurvesandestimationoftheirheightsfromceilometerobservationsunderallweatherconditionscaseofathensgreece AT basilepsiloglou detectionofupperandlowerplanetaryboundarylayercurvesandestimationoftheirheightsfromceilometerobservationsunderallweatherconditionscaseofathensgreece AT ariadnegavriil detectionofupperandlowerplanetaryboundarylayercurvesandestimationoftheirheightsfromceilometerobservationsunderallweatherconditionscaseofathensgreece AT kalliopipetrinoli detectionofupperandlowerplanetaryboundarylayercurvesandestimationoftheirheightsfromceilometerobservationsunderallweatherconditionscaseofathensgreece |